New York Mets legend Darryl Strawberry in a press convention earlier than his quantity retirement ceremony, June 1, 2024. (AP Photograph/Noah Ok. Murray)
Darryl Strawberry, one of many best gamers ever to don a New York Mets uniform, had his No. 18 retired by the crew on Saturday earlier than its 10-5 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks. He’s the 10th player to have his quantity retired by the franchise.
The now-62-year-old eight-time All-Star (seven with the Mets) stood on Citi Subject with a big No. 18 reduce into the outfield grass and former teammates and household sitting within the infield. Strawberry addressed the adoring crowd for about quarter-hour.
>> Subscribe to Sports Spectrum Magazine for more stories where sports and faith connect <<
“Nothing like being residence!” he said to start his speech, eliciting a powerful ovation. “First, I’d like to present honor to God. I’d wish to thank Him for His grace, His mercy, and His love for my life.”
“First I’d like to present honor to God.”
Mets legend Darryl Strawberry offers the glory to the Lord as his quantity 18 is retired by the crew as we speak. pic.twitter.com/DmBZ6fELt2
— Sports activities Spectrum (@Sports_Spectrum) June 1, 2024
Strawberry thanked everybody he might within the Mets group for serving to him attain the heights he did in New York, which included a legendary run to win the World Sequence in 1986. The ordained traveling minister additionally made positive to thank his many pastor associates who had been in attendance, in addition to his household and his spouse, Tracy, for caring for him after the massive heart attack he suffered on March 11.
Close to the top of his remarks, he pointed again to his Father in Heaven.
“The best reward I’ve ever obtained,” he mentioned, “was accepting the Lord in my life. Not simply changing into a baseball participant, however changing into a person.”
Strawberry was the No. 1 total decide by the Mets in 1980 out of Crenshaw Excessive College in Los Angeles. He made his main league debut in 1983 at 21 years previous, profitable Nationwide League Rookie of the 12 months. He made his first of eight consecutive All-Star groups the next season, and two years later led the Mets to the crew’s newest World Sequence title.
He signed along with his hometown Dodgers following the 1990 season, enjoying three seasons there. After a yr with the San Francisco Giants, he completed his profession by enjoying 5 seasons with the New York Yankees, the place he gained three extra World sequence titles.
Strawberry amassed 335 home runs and 1,000 RBIs in a profession that was partly derailed by his well-documented alcohol and drug abuse. He’s nonetheless the Mets’ franchise chief in residence runs (252), but he wasn’t capable of replicate his success elsewhere.
Since his darkest days — and because of the help from Tracy, whom he met in a drug rehab facility in 2006 — Strawberry has grow to be a religious follower of Christ. He now travels round, preaching the Good Information of the Gospel.
His coronary heart assault in March disrupted his journey plans, and on Saturday, Strawberry revealed simply how extreme it was.
“I got here near dropping my life,” Strawberry mentioned in a pre-ceremony press convention, according to CBS Sports. “I’m sitting right here as a result of it’s a present from the Lord and I don’t take it without any consideration.”
Strawberry has been a visitor on the Sports activities Spectrum Podcast quite a few instances, most recently this past April, the place he mentioned his coronary heart assault, his upcoming quantity retirement ceremony, and naturally his religion in Jesus.
“There are such a lot of fantastic issues I can sit right here and say ‘thanks’ for and be grateful for,” Strawberry started. “For us to be right here, and with the ability to share the Good Information of Jesus Christ and His love for us it doesn’t matter what we undergo.”
He continued later, “I can see this [heart attack] as one other open door to succeed in extra folks for God, to indicate them that religion is an important a part of your life and that you’ve to have the ability to maintain onto your religion whatever the circumstances of life.
“If God’s gonna name me to evangelise about storms — being in a storm, popping out of a storm, storms on the best way — then I gotta dwell that too.”
Strawberry mentioned he realized much more in regards to the Gospel by means of his well being scare.
“The Gospel is the reality. Jesus mentioned it in John 14:6 — ‘I’m the best way, the reality, and the life. Nobody involves the Father besides by means of Me.’ He’s the best way. And figuring out that Easter was yesterday, and that He bought up with all energy in His fingers for us, that’s what we gotta study to dwell. We gotta study to dwell the e book. Which e book? Not simply any e book, however I’m speaking in regards to the Bible.
“… He shed His blood for us, that we’d expertise this abundant life due to that, due to His love for us on the cross. He wasn’t hanging on that cross only for nothing; He was hanging on that cross for all the pieces. … That is grace. He talks about, “My grace is sufficient for you. My energy is made excellent in weak spot.’”
Close to the top of his interview on the podcast, Strawberry mentioned his Bible is an important merchandise he has.
“One thing nice occurred after I picked this Bible up,” he mentioned. “I couldn’t put it down, and it was by no means achieved. I feel folks want to know that it’s so alive, it’s so wealthy, it’s so properly written, it’s for us and it’s for us to dwell out this life this fashion.
“… I feel that’s what all of us come to understand once we do discover the cross and discover a relationship with Jesus. He makes use of each final one in every of us once we come to the top of ourselves and say, ‘It’s not me, it’s He that’s nice within me’ that helps others come to know they will dwell this fashion.”
>> Do you know Christ personally? Learn how you can commit your life to Him. <<
RELATED STORIES:
– SS PODCAST: Darryl Strawberry on his heart attack, having his number retired
– SS PODCAST: Darryl Strawberry – 8-time MLB All-Star
– SS PODCAST: Darryl Strawberry – 4-time MLB champion
– Former Mets All-Star Darryl Strawberry gets baptized in Jordan River
– New York Mets Hall of Famer Darryl Strawberry is now a pastor
